Break The Cycle Darleny Suriel

November, A month before I turned 25, I recorded this episode where I share the 25 lessons life had taught me before 25. Three months after turning 25 and a quarter into the new year - there is no better time to premiere it than now. These lessons are a timeless reminder that life is all about playing the long game and consistently implementing the tools you acquire throughout your journey. I want to spread game about everything I've learned about investing, trusting yourself, knowing your worth, and working smarter when working harder. Most importantly, I want you to take in the most important lesson I've learned thus far in my life: As you continue to reach for success and break toxic cycles in your life, there will be many times you feel lost or stuck in the dark; trust yourself anyways in those moments and have faith that there is a lesson in that experience that is meant to aid you in your growth and development. It's part of the journey, but at least you're not alone. We got this. We gonna make it.

At the beginning of this year, I moved to Washington DC for three months to be a Congressional Intern on Capitol Hill. It took me a long while to process that whole experience, and all that has happened since then. In this episode, I talk about my experience working on the Hill, how it impacted my life (negatively and positively), and what I learned from it all. I also give some new life updates and talk about my state of mind since coming back from DC and going into the second half of 2022. So, put on your headphones, turn on your DND, and Enjoy!

The first episode of Season 3 is here!! In this premiere episode, I am interviewing Yvonne Hernandez - a Salvadorian-American college graduate from UC Merced and a current congressional intern. Yvonne has had such an interesting trajectory- from Compton to Capitol Hill - In this episode, Yvonne will talk about the challenges, lessons, and transitions in her journey that led to her becoming the empathetic, patient, and determined woman that she is today. Tune in to our conversation and get ready to laugh, cry, and learn. Also, make sure to stick around till the end to hear a life update on Yvonne that you won't want to miss!

In this special season 2 finale episode, I interview Sophia Rosario, an event planner and amazing humanitarian. Sophia talks about her trip to the Dominican Republic that changed her life and led her to start her fundraiser " Feeding Family of 15". Tune in to learn the moving story behind this fundraiser and how you can support it. Sophia and I close out this second season of BTC talking about family, community, self-care, the importance of presence and growing up in the diaspora as Dominican-Americans. Enjoy!

On January 6th, 2021 -one of the most consequential days in modern American history- I made plans to interview Michael Wiafe, an SDSU Alum and current Berkeley Grad student/TA. Our original intent was to discuss the recent 2020 election and it's impact. After a shocking day, we met and spoke about everything but The Capital Riots that just happened hours before we met. We discussed our experiences as black immigrants, education inequity, the importance of hope, the power of civic engagement, the significance of taking up space, and how policy impacts our communities. We talk about voting, the Obamas; we joke about moms and their WhatsApp voice notes. Tune into this intellectual, funny, moving, blunt convo about the global black experience and how you can influence policy that can help close inequity gaps affecting marginalized communities.

In this very personal episode of Break The Cycle, I discuss my very unconventional and complex education journey as a first-generation student. As an Afro-Dominican immigrant, I explain how education has become both a symbol of privilege & oppression to me. I will get brutally honest about my education journey and the impact it had on my mental health. Tune in as I share the personal experiences, insights, and lessons I encountered, and explain how it all inspired me to start a new initiative called: El Cibao Drive.